Abdellah El Asely

Our trip to Morocco was amazing! We loved that we had the same driver, Mustapha, for the entire week. We were picked up on time from all starting points and enjoyed taking to about all things Morocco. Mustapha was very careful to give accurate information and often would follow up with questions we had after he researched it. We appreciated his attention to detail. Our first hotel was not ready for us so rather than drop us early to store our luggage, Mustapha took us to Akchour, popular hiking area. He even borrowed clothing from a guide so he could hike with us. We did not yet get cash but he arranged for us to have a tagine lunch (we felt like the locals!) and KimKim included this lunch with our tour. It was a very nice treat and welcome to Morocco.

We loved Chefchouen! I was expecting it to be crowded with Instagram posers but streets were very quiet when we headed out for our morning walk there. The houses were so blue! We learned they paint the walls 4x per year! Our guide was so amazing. He was patient with our pictures and even invited us in to see his family home. Our hotel, Lina Ryad was beautiful. They were able to get two of us in for a hammam when we arrived. Breakfast was excellent. Our dinner was just okay. We especially love the rooftop terrace where you could get spectacular views of the blue city below. We had the rooftop to ourselves and enjoyed day, evening and night views. Rooms were spacious. They provided robes and had an extra bed for our daughter made up.

Next we moved to Fes. We loved that the tour that took us to the top of the city so we could see down into the areas we would explore. We also really enjoyed the tour of the ceramics shop. It was informative and interesting to see how the crafts are still made by hand. We each bought something in the gift shop after. The streets were a bit overwhelming, evne for seasoned travelers. We saw the tanneries, and the wool dying. Our guide took us to get carpets but they were way out of our budget. We also explored the world's oldest University. We were not able to see the school but could walk through the now abandoned dorms. Our hotel, Riad Braya was tucked away but so beautiful. We felt like we were the only guests there. We had personal service. The riad was beautiful, comfortable beds and another amazing rooftop. We had to leave super early to catch our train to Marrakech and they packed a breakfast for us to take with.

Our last stop was Marrakech. Our hotel, Riad Atrium was one of our favorites. It was quiet and intimate. We ate dinner and breakfast on the rooftop and enjoyed more views. Food was very good, especially the breakfast. We also enjoyed a tagine chicken our first night that was lovely. We really enjoyed the markets in Marrakech but our guide moved very fast through them. We had to stop him several times to make purchases. We also struggled to keep up with him as we had 5 of us and maneuvering through the crowds is a bit challenging! We did a day tour of the market, toured the gardens, a palace, and did a night food tour. All were informative and engaging. Most of our group tried escargot and sampled other foods we may not have had we not had a guide. We felt safe at all times and even managed to got out on our own a couple times after doing it with our guide. We found the people at the markets (and all of Morocco) to be friendly and helpful. For example, we were trying to cross a busy street and a local man said follow me and helped us to just walk around some cars. While bartering is a big part of buying, we didn't find the merchants to be overly pushy. We did try to buy a carpet here too and again, found them to be way out of our budget ($1000 for even a small rug).

Our last day we hiked the High Atlas mountains and had dinner with a Berber family. This was one of my favorite days in Morocco. The scenery was so beautiful and it was a nice change from the crowded cities. We ended up buying rugs from locals here and found the prices much more reasonable and felt better about the money going directly to the women who make the rugs. I also bought a leather ottoman for a good price. The meal with the family was so good and appreciated after hiking a few miles.

Overall, we were very impressed by Morocco. From the time we were picked up from the airport to the time were dropped off, Mustapha took very good care of us. People were welcoming, food was amazing, the riads are unsuspecting from the outside but inside they are grand, intricate, but also cozy and welcoming. We felt safe at all times and

Hotel Reviews

Lina Ryad & Spa

Chefchaouen

Our hotel, Lina Ryad was beautiful. They were able to get two of us in for a hammam when we arrived. Breakfast was excellent. Our dinner was just okay. We especially love the rooftop terrace where you could get spectacular views of the blue city below. We had the rooftop to ourselves and enjoyed day, evening and night views. Rooms were spacious. They provided robes and had an extra bed for our daughter made up. They stored our luggage for us while we did a tour of the city.

Authenticity & Character

Rooftop was amazing!

Location

Staff

Helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Loved the robes!

Riad Braya

Fes Medina

Our hotel, Riad Braya was tucked away but so beautiful. We felt like we were the only guests there. We had personal service. The riad was beautiful, comfortable beds and another amazing rooftop. We had to leave super early to catch our train to Marrakech and they packed a breakfast for us to take with.

Authenticity & Character

Location

a bit of a walk from main area but quiet

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Atrium & Spa

Marrakesh

Our hotel, Riad Atrium was one of our favorites. It was quiet and intimate. We ate dinner and breakfast on the rooftop and enjoyed more views. Food was very good, especially the breakfast. We also enjoyed a tagine chicken our first night that was lovely. Staff was helpful and again, we saw one other guest our entire time here so it felt like we had the place to ourself.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Tour of Chefchaoeun

Chefchaouen

We loved Chefchouen! I was expecting it to be crowded with Instagram posers but streets were very quiet when we headed out for our morning walk there. The houses were so blue! We learned they paint the walls 4x per year! Our guide was so amazing. He was patient with our pictures and even invited us in to see his family home.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide invited us to see his family home in town.

Transport

Guided Tour of Fez Medina

Fes

We loved that the tour that took us to the top of the city so we could see down into the areas we would explore. We also really enjoyed the tour of the ceramics shop. It was informative and interesting to see how the crafts are still made by hand. We each bought something in the gift shop after. The streets were a bit overwhelming, even for seasoned travelers. We saw the tanneries, and the wool dying. Our guide took us to get carpets but they were way out of our budget. We also explored the world's oldest University. We were not able to see the school but could walk through the now abandoned dorms.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

We really enjoyed the markets in Marrakech but our guide moved very fast through them. We had to stop him several times to make purchases. We also struggled to keep up with him as we had 5 of us and maneuvering through the crowds is a bit challenging! We toured a palace and the markets. We did try to buy a carpet here too and again, found them to be way out of our budget ($1000 for even a small rug). We also went to a Argon oil store. We were given a briefing on Argon oil. I had no idea the oil is made from seeds only grown in a small region of Morocco. The prices seemed reasonable and we purchased argon oil and some spices.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Imlil Valley: High Atlas Mountains Adventure & Lunch with a Berber Family

Marrakesh

Our last day we hiked the High Atlas mountains and had dinner with a Berber family. This was one of my favorite days in Morocco. The scenery was so beautiful and it was a nice change from the crowded cities. We ended up buying rugs from locals here and found the prices much more reasonable and felt better about the money going directly to the women who make the rugs. I also bought a leather ottoman for a good price. The meal with the family was so good and appreciated after hiking a few miles.

Quality of Experience

Food

Best tagine!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Drive from Chefchaouen to Fes via Volubilis, Moulay Idriss & Meknes

Morocco

We enjoyed Volubilis but by the time we got there, it was mid day and very hot! We explored with a guide and enjoyed the sights of the ancient Roman city. We could have skipped Meknes. It was busy and we were not allowed in the mosque because we had on shorts.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Majorelle Gardens

Morocco

Gardens were nice but for us it was tucked in between a half day tour of Marrakech and a night food tour of Marrakech markets. It was hot, crowded and so many Instagram posers! Very well maintained. Loved the ponds, cacti, and various flowers.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marrakech Evening Food Tour

Marrakesh

So much food! We definitely left full. We stopped for prickly pear as we were walking to the market. Next, we sampled Harira, and a street sandwich with tomatoes and onions grilled in a pita. We also got to sample escargot which most in our group tried for the first time. It was interesting and salty. Not the worst I have eaten! We also went to a restaurant and tried beef tagine. We ended with sugar donuts and smoothies. It was fun to have someone point us to safe eating places. We ended up getting smoothies and donuts on our own from the same vendors. Markets at night are very busy and it was hard to keep up with our guide. We wanted to do some last minute shopping but that was stressful with so many people everywhere and trying to keep our group together.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Morocco was fantastic and just as advertised. The people, the sights, the smells, and that food all were so memorable. Our driver, Mustapha, was our favorite person we met the entire trip. His wonderful personality and his care for us was unmatched. He gave us inside tips on culture and the country, along with great conversation throughout. Whenever we stopped he took great care to make sure we knew where we were going and what was expected and was always on time for every pick up. When we had extra time to kill between pickup and the next check in, he made sure to find a great park to fill our time. Lastly, his excellent driving skills avoided an out of control car coming toward us that kept us from having a bad accident.

The guide and Lina Ryad in Chefchouen were great. The location of the Ryad was excellent and views from the roof were fantastic. The guide was very thorough and provided a very personalized view of the city. We enjoyed the tour very much.

The tour of Vloubilis was amazing and our guide there was top notch. He was extremely knowledgable and brought much of the place to life for us. We loved the ruins and the stories behind it and highly recommend this stop. The stop in Meknes was mostly unnecessary. The medina was small and underwhelming given we were seeing Fes and Marrakesh later. We didn't get into the mausoleum because of our clothing, which is our fault, but wasn't a big draw for us anyway.

The Ryad Braya in Fes was also excellent and the service great. We were the only people staying at the Ryad and the workers made sure we had everything we needed. The location is quiet and close to several easy places to eat and to be picked up. The rooftop seating area is perfect for relaxing with the entire group. The tour of Fes was good, but the guide was average. He threw in several items that we later found to not be true and it soured our view on things a bit not knowing what to believe. We liked seeing the medina and he was very knowledgable but moved very quickly. We were glad to see it and definitely benefited from having a guide.

The Ryad Atrium in Marrakesh was also excellent and our favorite of the 3 Ryads. Service was once again impeccable and the breakfast and dinner on the roof top were great. They treated us very well and had a very nice space to spend together as a group. The location was also great within 15 minutes of the medina. The guided tour of the city and the food tour were done by the same guide and we loved them both. He did a great job explaining culture, city, customs, and food throughout. He did move fast at times through the crowd but was happy to stop for us when we wanted to slow down. We really enjoyed his knowledge and explanations.

The day trip to Imlil was another highlight. Our guide through the hike was excellent and really explained well how people lived in the area and answered all our questions very well. He helped us with a few purchases and carried our wares down the mountain on the hike. Our visit to a locals house for lunch was a highlight as they made an amazing meal for us and served it in their living room. One of the best meals of the trip.

Overall, the trip was excellent and I wouldn't change much at all. Our driver throughout, the tour of Chefchouen, and the final hike and meal in the mountains were highlights, but all in between was amazing.

Hotel Reviews

Lina Ryad & Spa

Chefchaouen

The Lina Ryad in Chefchouen was great. The location of the Ryad was excellent and views from the roof were fantastic. Both breakfast and dinner were very good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Braya

Fes Medina

The Ryad Braya in Fes was also excellent and the service great. We were the only people staying at the Ryad and the workers made sure we had everything we needed. The location is quiet and close to several easy places to eat and to be picked up. The rooftop seating area is perfect for relaxing with the entire group.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Atrium & Spa

Marrakesh

The Ryad Atrium in Marrakesh was also excellent and our favorite of the 3 Ryads. Service was once again impeccable and the breakfast and dinner on the roof top were great. They treated us very well and had a very nice space to spend together as a group. The location was also great within 15 minutes of the medina.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Tour of Chefchaoeun

Chefchaouen

The guide was very thorough and provided a very personalized view of the city including showing us his childhood home. We enjoyed the tour very much.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Fez Medina

Fes

The tour of Fes was good, but the guide was average. He threw in several items that we later found to not be true and it soured our view on things a bit not knowing what to believe. We liked seeing the medina and he was very knowledgable but moved very quickly. We were glad to see it and definitely benefited from having a guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

The guided tour of the city and the food tour were done by the same guide and we loved them both. He did a great job explaining culture, city, customs, and food throughout. He did move fast at times through the crowd but was happy to stop for us when we wanted to slow down. We really enjoyed his knowledge and explanations.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marrakech Evening Food Tour

Marrakesh

The guided tour of the city and the food tour were done by the same guide and we loved them both. He did a great job explaining culture, city, customs, and food throughout. He did move fast at times through the crowd but was happy to stop for us when we wanted to slow down. We really enjoyed his knowledge and explanations.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Imlil Valley: High Atlas Mountains Adventure & Lunch with a Berber Family

Marrakesh

The day trip to Imlil was another highlight. Our guide through the hike was excellent and really explained well how people lived in the area and answered all our questions very well. He helped us with a few purchases and carried our wares down the mountain on the hike. Our visit to a locals house for lunch was a highlight as they made an amazing meal for us and served it in their living room. One of the best meals of the trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Drive from Chefchaouen to Fes via Volubilis, Moulay Idriss & Meknes

Morocco

The tour of Vloubilis was amazing and our guide there was top notch. He was extremely knowledgable and brought much of the place to life for us. We loved the ruins and the stories behind it and highly recommend this stop. The stop in Meknes was mostly unnecessary. The medina was small and underwhelming given we were seeing Fes and Marrakesh later. We didn't get into the mausoleum because of our clothing, which is our fault, but wasn't a big draw for us anyway.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Majorelle Gardens

Morocco

Gardens were nice but busy. We had already packed a lot into the day so didn't spend a lot of time here. They are beautiful but there were too many activities.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We are almost back home in Chicago after an amazing 2 weeks in Morocco. Abdullah did a fantastic job choosing activities, tailoring the excursions to what we requested and picking wonderful places to stay in each location. The scenery of the country was so varied, and all beautiful, but ai was most blown away by the people. Everyone was so kind - everywhere we went! Our driver Farid took wonderful care of us and let us adjust times and activities along the way. I would definitely recommend KimKim travel to anyone wanting to customize a trip - and if you ever though about going to Morocco - just do it!

Our family of four had a fantastic 10 day June trip to Morocco in large part due to the planning assistance of kimkim (Abdel and Said) and the reliability, good cheer and guidance of our wonderful driver, Mustapha. The accommodations and activities/excursions were as described (or better!) and our local guides were knowledgable and friendly. We especially enjoyed our Sahara camel riding experience, our cooking class in Marrakech, our various kasbah visits and our time in Essaouria. We had some long travel days (as planned), but the multiple cultural pit stops along the way made the travel time much more manageable and interesting.